Caretaker Health Minister Katsarov: Danger Still Here, Everyone Should Get Vaccinated

Bulgaria’s caretaker Minister of Health, Dr. Stoycho Katsarov, on May 17 made a special video address calling on Bulgarian citizens to get vaccinated against Covid-19.

"We all want the restrictive measures to be lifted and return to our normal way of life as soon as possible. The curbed spread of the virus is due to time rather than our actions. The danger has not passed and no one can guarantee us that the virus will not return. Like it or not, the only way, for which so far there is conclusive evidence for containment of of the virus and lower mortality rate is vaccination," said Minister Katsarov.

The Minister said that the country is at the bottom in the EU rankings in terms of administered vaccines and the percentage of vaccinated among the most vulnerable groups - the elderly and those with severe chronic diseases, remains quite low.

"I know that many of you have doubts about the safety of the vaccines. I also had my reservations, mostly because of the short duration and scope of clinical trials. However, the fact is that vaccines have been given to hundreds of millions of people around the world and registered side effects are very few. It is obvious even to non-specialists that the benefits outweigh the risks."

"We have already paid a high enough price - in the past six months alone, 26,000 more people have died than in the same period of the year in each of the past 5 years. This is twice as many as the victims Bulgaria gave during the Second World War," Katsarov said.

Of those who died of coronavirus in Bulgaria, 80%  were over the age of 60. That is why the minister ordered that all vaccination centres, from Monday to Thursday, administer vaccines to people over the age of 60 and those with severe chronic diseases. On the other days of the week, the rest will be vaccinated in the order of registration. This order will be valid for the next two months.

The Minister ordered the RHIs to ensure the delivery of vaccines to GPs, as well as to form mobile teams for vaccination of seriously ill and those living in remote areas.

"I remind everyone again that vaccination is free-of-charge, no matter whether you have health insurance or not. Reaching herd immunity depends on how long the measures will last! Vaccination is voluntary. Everyone must decide for themselves and their loved ones. "I can't protect you from the disease if you don't want to protect yourself! We have made the necessary arrangements! If something is not right, we are ready to correct it immediately. Success or failure depends on everyone," Katsarov added.

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